The Trials of the Trump Administration
On this page you can find dispatches by Anna Bower, Molly Roberts, and Roger Parloff from court hearings in the litigation challenging actions from the Trump administration.
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Dispatch: Move Fast and Break Things and Nobody Has Standing
No court can stop President Trump’s ballroom, the government says in National Trust for Historic Preservation v. NPS. -
Fulton County’s Uphill Battle for Ballots
A recent hearing offered the clearest indication yet that Judge Boulee might rule against Fulton County's motion for return of property. -
Hearing Dispatch: A Catch-22 for the Pentagon Press Corps
Judge Paul Friedman hears a motion to compel compliance with his order to restore press access to the Pentagon. -
Lessons From the Minnesota Civil Contempt Case
“The government’s understaffing and high case load is a problem of its own making,” a federal judge observed. -
Cities Church Arraignment Signals Early Battles Over FACE Act and § 241
The hearing for Don Lemon and codefendants foreshadowed disputes over complex-case designation, grand jury disclosure, and the government’s handling of digital evidence. -
Minnesota v. Noem: A Hearing Diary for Jan. 26
A live-blog of the hearing where Judge Menendez considered whether to order a reduction in federal immigration law enforcement in the Twin Cities. -
Hearing Dispatch: NPR Fights Trump on the First Amendment
The plaintiffs argue the government is disfavoring speech it disagrees with. The government barely disputes that. -
Abrego v. Noem: A Hearing Diary for Nov. 20
A live-blog of testimony and argument at the hearing at which Judge Xinis weighed Abrego Garcia’s petition seeking release. -
Dispatch from the Nov. 13 Hearing on Lindsey Halligan’s Appointment
In a joint hearing in the Comey and James cases, Judge Currie appeared skeptical that Halligan had been properly appointed U.S. Attorney or that any error was harmless. -
Trial Dispatch: The Comey Hearing of Nov. 5, 2025
A judge ordered grand jury minutes turned over to James Comey, as well as information from five-year-old searches of Professor Dan Richman. -
Sandwich Guy, Thrower of Hoagie–Or Hero?
The trial ended in an acquittal. But the proceedings felt like a strange sort of performance art—highly amusing and highly menacing at the same time. -
Abrego Garcia v. Noem: A Hearing Diary, Oct. 10
A live-blog of the evidentiary hearing on whether Abrego is being unlawfully detained for punitive and political reasons.
